The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-15
A STROLL IN TILE pARk,

|
mills, compresses, machine shops and the
less pretentious homes Of a Working popu-
lation. - 49, d
A STROLL IN TIE PARK.
Having to wait day for a boat twenty.
five mile, down the river to my objective
point, which was the plantation Of Colonel
Alexander Campbell, Of Brooke county,
W. Va, l made myself rs comfortable as l
could in Whist was left Of the Foster House
hotel, which had been recently partly de.
stroyed by fire. Then l e.rolled to the
park on the bluff and found seat by the
side Of an old 1rishman who informed me
that be was the park policeman. The
view up and down the great river and
across to Vidslis, La, and far beyond over
the rich alluvial country tha! lgy before
me, was indeed inspiring as / epjoyed the
balmy air and genial sunshine OF warm
Southern day in the winter time. . : =. I
My Irish friend had been in this part
OF the country So years, and before the
war was q gardener for one of tho rich
planters who lived in Nstchez. Hs had
much to tell mo OF the pride and luxury
Of these days among this class. They had
absorbed the whole country on both sides
OF the river into large plantations, having
hundreds OF shares each, aud Nstchez
being high and healthy, they came there
10 luxuriats, leaving their plantations in
charge of their overseers. He explained
TO me how he camo to 20 TO war on behalf
OF this caste and clGss, and their Institution,
in which ne had no part. 81 had to 60"
said he. Everybody had to co." And
this was true, "for fact" as the darkies
say. They did all have 20 down bers.
This old Irish man did not like the
negro. He ned the implscable antipathy
OF his race 10 the black MN, bend or free.
While he had no love for the old master
class and had no tears to shed over their
downfall, yet no WAS ready enough to still
echo the old malsdiction, "clrsed be
Canaan" -
rs e THE NEW SOUTH.
S!rollins about through tho city l called
in at tho Democrat Office and had a talk
with Major Grafton, the editor. The
Msior is not Bourbon, but recon.
structed and progressive Southerner, who
believes in snow South" Said he az
was always an anti.alavery man, albeit a
STAKEHOLDER, because OF its bad effects on
the white man. II made, our country
sparsely settled, tended to concentrate the
land in the hands OF the rich, and took
out OF our young man all notions Of work"
He had no regrets over the results OF the
war, believed the South YVES greatly bet.
ter OF, and had altogether greater future
in consequence OF the abolition of slavery.
The two cotton mills in Nstchez arc
operated almos. exclusively by white
labor. In these factories acores of girls,
WHOSE parents were oncs rich or weIl-to-
do, now find employment, Just az girls do
in the factories Of New England The COL
ored population have not the deitpess OF
hand, step or intellect to do this work.
So 1t iB claimed, and so believe from ali
I have seen. They lack, too, the m orale
that is required, which means assiduity,
punctuality, tidineRs, and reliability day
in and day out. Their time may be com.
ing, but it is not now. .l@.Il973 &
There is fine compress" in Natchez
where they press about $4,000 bales Of
cotton in season. Once allithis work yns
done at the ports of shipment, mainly at
New Orleans, but now all the big towna
in the cotton regions OF the South have
their steam congresses, wherein two
bsles, as they come from the plantations.
arc nqueezed into less than the original
bulk Of ono. Wherever there is COM
press there is slso a market to which buy-
ers come, and from which uhipments are
made direct to Europe or the North.
This cuts of great deal Of business from
New O'leano, for bill Of lading from
Natchez to Europe cuts off all charges in
that city and puts the cotton straight on
shipbosrd from the boat or car that car
ries it to that point. s5.''' +
The negro population OF Natchez is full,
ly one-half the entire number OF inhabi-
tsnts, and like that Of all the large towns
OF the South, is apparently only half en-,
ployed. They are the houge servants and
the common laborers OF the place, aud do
all the unskilled work around the isctorieu
and industrial concerns alluded to. Major
Grafton Gays that they are progressing
aud rising despite so much unthriIt among
tham. He believes this to be true Of the
whole race in the South, and while in
this opinion he diffars with ,nonu Sonth-